Written in Conflict
by NewRageInc
Summary: Written for sponsormusings for the Spring Fling fic exchange on tumblr.


_I do not own the Hunger Games._

**Written in Conflict**

In the late afternoon of a steamy July day, Katniss Everdeen found herself standing outside a small town police station. She squinted up at the building while covering the left side of her face from the sun and let out a huff of exasperation. She had been sent down to this small town with a mission.

This would be her chance to prove herself.

Currently, she was a small time journalist working for the _Panem Journal_. She had been pestering her boss, Mr. Abernathy, for bigger stories ever since she had begun working there. Covering school bake sales and the new exhibit at the City of Panem's zoo had gotten tiring rather quickly and she was desperate for the type of excitement she knew journalism could bring to her life.

She kicked at the loose gravel at her feet and turned from the station, her long braid whipping around in her aggravation. A young girl had been murdered last night and Mr. Abernathy finally had the good sense to send her out into the field to see what she could report. She didn't know much about the area, just that it was essentially in bum-fuck nowhere and she wasn't being compensated for gas money.

Katniss had tried getting in to speak to the Chief of Police but it was proving impossible to get a word with him. She had been pestering the front desk for an appointment with him to get a statement but had been given the run around. Katniss shook her head and continued down the sidewalk.

She would be forced to try again tomorrow.

* * *

"You're already frustrated." Prim's voice sounded tired. Katniss furrowed her brow.

She was sitting in her car at the local junior high school's parking lot. She had just been told that the faculty had been advised not to speak to the press and promptly told to leave.

"This just isn't going how I intended it."

"So you've had a rough couple of days getting people to talk, what did you expect? To go down there and have them to hand you everything they had on the case so far? It's why it's called investigative journalism, Katniss." She heard the rustle of papers on Prim's end.

"How are your exams going?" The change of subject earned a groan from her younger sister.

"Terrible. I don't know how what I'm doing anymore, Kat…" She sounded close to tears. Katniss pressed her lips together a moment before replying.

"Listen, you're the smartest and most caring person I know. You're going to get through this and you're going to become the best doctor the world has ever seen."

Prim snorted. "Thanks, Katniss… you always know what to say… and I know you'll write an amazing article and win a Pulitzer or something." She gave her own snort and told her sister to get studying.

* * *

She had gone back to the police station ten times over the next day. She kept getting the same story from the receptionist.

_"The chief is awful busy, ma'am. Maybe later…?"_

Katniss was starting to get sick of it and had called and told Mr. Abernathy.

_"What do you mean, not cooperating? That's your job, sweetheart; you get them to cooperate."_

He hung up on her after that. It was the morning of the fourth day, and it was when she drove up the street towards the police station that she spotted them. A man dressed in a well decorated uniform walking next to a man in a plain grey suit with a mop of messy blond curls at the top of his head. It seemed as though the man in the suit was speaking animatedly and the uniform was nodding back gravely. She noticed a notepad in the suited man's hands.

_Damn it all to Hell…_

Katniss jammed her foot on the brake and parked her car haphazardly in between two parking meters. She jumped out of her car and stomped over to the pair who had paused at the sound of her brakes screeching.

"You're the Chief of Police for this town," she demanded, pulling out her own notepad and paper and shooting the blond man her most threatening glare. The Chief looked taken aback.

"I-I… Yes." Katniss stuck out her hand, none too politely, and shook his with her firmest grip.

"Katniss Everdeen, _Panem Journal_. I've been asking to speak to you for the past three going on four days sir. It's about the little girl-"

"Ah," the Chief nodded. "Yes, that. I'm sorry, but I have been terribly busy-"

"Apparently only when it comes to _me_." Katniss' blood was boiling. She was just about to accuse him of not wanting to speak to her because she was a woman reporter when the suit stepped in.

"Please don't be mad at Chief Undersee, he has been busy." The man gave her what she supposed was his best winning smile. "Peeta Mellark,_Panem Times_." Her heart just about wanted to stop at the sound of those words.

The _Panem Times_ was her paper's worst rival. They were always in competition to be the most exciting paper in the City of Panem. She grunted in response.

"You see," he continued. "The Chief is an old friend of the family and when I heard about what had happened in my old home town, I had to come down and report it myself. His daughter and I went to school together and I didn't really think twice about calling him up to see if I could get a statement." Chief Undersee was nodding.

"Yes, it's true. I know you've been wanting to speak to me, so I'll free up some time tomorrow afternoon if you're willing to wait a little longer, Miss Everdeen."

It was better than nothing.

"Fine then, I will see you tomorrow, Chief Undersee. Mr. Mellark." She turned and strode off, leaving the man from the _Panem Times_ looking after her with an amused smirk on his face.

* * *

The secretary at the local junior high had short spikey hair and the attitude of a porcupine. Her eyes had immediately narrowed at the sight of Katniss coming through the main entrance for the second time that week. Katniss disregarded the immediate coolness coming off of the secretary and approached her window.

"I'm Katniss Everdeen from the _Panem Journal_. I was hoping to get a statement from the principal of this school regarding the recent murder of a student from here."

"I'm afraid Mr. Odair isn't in today, Ms. Everdeen," the secretary snapped her gum. "Perhaps we could set up an appointment for the end of the week?"

"I was hoping to be able to speak to him sooner."

"Well, that's too bad." Katniss wanted to slam her fists through the glass separating them.

"Fine. Expect me on Friday."

She was spending far too much time on this story than she had originally anticipated. She was getting nowhere fast and hated Mr. Abernathy because she was sure he knew this would turn out to be a wild goose chase. Katniss was halfway down the parking lot when a gentle voice caught her attention. She turned and found herself face to face with a pretty blond in a white dress, her chest heaving slightly from having to sprint and catch up to Katniss.

"Ms. Everdeen," she breathed. "I'm Madge Undersee… I understand you were looking to speak to someone about Rue…"

Katniss nodded and waited for her to continue.

"I was… well, am the music teacher here at the school. She was one of my students. I wouldn't mind… talking to you about her if you don't mind listening to what I have to say." She looked over her shoulder and bit her lip at the building before turning back to Katniss.

"Okay, let's go."

* * *

Madge tapped on the edge of her coffee cup thoughtfully before taking a sip while Katniss waited patiently in front of her. The diner they had chosen was empty, since the lunch time rush had just passed. Save for an old man sitting at the counter, it didn't seem as though they needed to fear being overheard. Nevertheless, Madge seemed worried and kept looking over her shoulder at the doors to see if anyone was coming in.

"We could switch seats if that would make you more comfortable," Katniss offered when Madge turned for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Oh my, no… but thank you though, I do appreciate it. I, uh, guess I'll begin." Katniss leaned on her elbow, trying to look as patient as possible to see what this woman had to offer.

"Rue was, well, she was something else. Very bright, and very talented. She was a joy to the whole faculty. You see, on the night it… happened, she was on her way home from choir practice. Her house isn't too far from the school, just on the other side of the train tracks, so it was common to see her walking the distance. I didn't think of it then… I had kept them all too long. It was dark by the time I had dismissed the kids. Most of the ones in choir are from uptown and their parents were waiting in the parking lot. When I saw Rue walking towards the tracks, I asked if she'd like a ride… She said she didn't want to impose and I didn't think twice about letting her go. It's such a sleepy place here… Things like this just don't… happen here."

"So she never made it home?" Katniss asked.

Madge shook her head, her hair shaking wildly around her face. "No. I believe her brothers were sent to look for her when she didn't make it back by ten, and they found her… beside the tracks-" Madge bit back a sob and Katniss pushed the napkin dispenser towards her. "I should have insisted. She was just a little thing."

Based on the information from Madge, Katniss was able to learn that the victim (Rue) was well-liked amongst the community. She was very active in her church group and could always be found volunteering with the local girl scouts or helping her mother with some type of chore. She was the eldest of six and looked up to by all of her brothers and sisters. Katniss was beginning to draw a clearer picture of the twelve year old girl she had heard of only a few days earlier.

She thanked Madge, paid for the coffee, and took off. She had her appointment with the Chief of Police, who just happened to be Madge's father, and didn't want to be late. Or maybe she should be; it would certainly serve the man right for making her wait so long.

"Any new information?" The question startled Katniss and she whipped her head around in search of the voice.

Behind her stood Peeta Mellark of the _Panem Times_.

Katniss scowled.

"I'm sure not as much as you have, Mr. Mellark," she replied tartly, adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder.

"Perhaps we should compare notes then?"

Now she was really frowning. "What use would that be to anyone?" His smirk did not waver; if anything, he looked even more amused than earlier.

"Maybe I just feel like talking to someone else about this whole situation. I was familiar with the girl myself…"

If there was anything that could cause a chink in her armor, it was speaking to someone with a soft side… or a supposed soft side. She was still rather suspicious of this man. Despite her better judgment, she nodded and followed him in the direction of a park she had become familiar with during her short stay.

"Where are you from?" He let himself fall onto a rickety old bench that looked to have perhaps been green at one point. She sat down next to him, smoothing her skirt consciously and perching herself as close to the edge as possible.

"The city. Our father moved us out there when he found a job at a steel factory. I was very young."

Peeta nodded his head. "My brothers got jobs there after they graduated high school."

"While you decided to become a writer," she shifted her body towards him. "What did you want to talk about, Mellark?" His smirk softened into a smile, a real one, and Katniss felt herself melt at the sight.

"I remember that girl from when I would come home for holidays. My folks own the bakery here in town and she would come in once a week to buy a loaf of bread from them. She was just a little thing, but spunky as hell." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Chief Undersee-"

"The Chief!" Katniss shot up from her seat. "I forgot; that's where I was headed!" She looked down at her watch and started walking towards the police station.

"It's no use. They don't know anything more about the case that the rest of the town doesn't already know," he called after her, causing her to slow down. He had stood as well, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "I could tell you what he told me, but I imagine Madge filled you in just as well."

"That's all the police know? That she didn't make it home and was found by the train tracks?"

He walked over to her. "They found twine around her neck," he spoke lowly as he came up closer to her. "They're not sure of a motive, but there was no evidence of sexual assault," he shrugged. "The police are just as confused as the town. Why would someone want to take the life of that little girl?"

"Why are you so willing to share all of this with me?" she asked.

He looked her up and down before leaning down in to her and whispering, "You just seem like the type of person who would do good by Rue."

* * *

_"Wow, that was deep_," she heard her sister give a dreamy sigh. _"Is he handsome?"_

"Yes, but that's beside the point, Prim." Katniss felt her face turning red. "I don't understand how he wants this to go if he's also trying to write a story about the same case."

_"Maybe he doesn't feel like writing the story anymore now that he knows it's someone he's familiar with. Perhaps it's too painful…?"_

"Maybe… I don't know. I don't like this assignment anymore." Prim giggled and Katniss heard a slight 'umph' from where Prim let herself fall into bed.

_"You're not supposed to like all of your assignments, Katniss. And remember, this is supposed to open the door for more exciting work. You're going to have to get used to dealing with these types of things."_

Katniss let her sister go with a reminder to be safe. Now having a name to match the faceless person in her mind made her a little more real. She couldn't help thinking of her younger sister, sitting in their apartment alone where anyone could get to her if they so desired. She went to bed that night dreaming of faceless murderers with ropes, trying to strangle her in her sleep.

* * *

"Well, hello there, sunshine." Katniss gritted her teeth and continued on with her pace as she made her way down the sleepy neighborhood where she had discovered Rue's family lived. "May I ask where you're headed?"

"Well, Mellark, I guess if we're going to be sharing information, I'm off to see if the family is willing to speak to me." She could almost feel him beaming from behind her.

"Well fancy that, it just so happens that's where I'm going, too! Except, well, we passed their house four houses ago." Katniss stopped in her tracks.

"I would have figured it out eventually." When she finally turned around, she found him offering his arm.

"We can go together." She eyed his arm cautiously before placing her hand on it. It didn't escape her just how small her hand felt in the crook of his arm.

As they approached the house, Katniss noticed that it was small and shabby. It could use a new layer of paint and although the lawn was browning in a few places, it otherwise seemed tidy. There were a couple of old bikes leaned up against the side wall and through the chain link fence that encased the back yard, she spotted some toys scattered about.

She observed a pair of large brown eyes watching curiously from one of the curtains. When the owners of the eyes noticed her watching, they fled, leaving the curtain fluttering in their wake. Peeta knocked firmly on the door and she noticed a pair of red rain boots, mud stuck to the bottom, next to the door.

A different pair, but similar nonetheless, of dark eyes peered at them through the window. They disappeared after a moment and the door creaked open, showing an elderly woman in a faded blue house dress. She regarded Katniss warily before turning towards Peeta.

"Mr. Mellark, it certainly has been a while…" She offered a withered brown hand and Peeta shook it graciously.

"Ma'am, it has been too long. Please excuse me for calling on you at such a horrid time. My deepest regrets on the loss of your granddaughter," he drawled, clearing his throat and gesturing to Katniss. "Ms. Everdeen and I were just wondering if you wouldn't mind giving us a few words on the subject. You see, the paper up in the city is very interested in this case. Such a terrible thing to happen to one so young…" The old woman thought for a moment before nodding and stepping aside.

"I s'pose it wouldn't hurt."

Katniss followed closely behind Peeta as they stepped inside and saw a little girl looking curiously from a hallway just down from the front door. She offered her a small smile which the girl returned before retreating back to what Katniss had to assume was one of the bedrooms. The outside of the house was similar to the inside. The walls were in need of painting and the couches were threadbare. But the atmosphere was warm and everything was clean and well cared for. There were the softening touches of family pictures all around the wall. Katniss picked up a photo from an end table next to the door.

It appeared to be a school picture, the background a soft blue that she assumed was supposed to simulate the sky. Kneeling in a wooden contraption similar to the pews in churches was a young girl, smiling up at the camera. Her hair was dark and curly and there was a chip in her front left tooth.

"That's Rue," the old woman said quietly. "Why don't you two take a seat…" Katniss gingerly set the photo back in its place and sat down on the threadbare couch next to Peeta while the woman took up a rocking chair. "Would you two like anything to drink?" They both declined, but the old woman called for the little girl, who reappeared before them and was sent to fetch some water.

"Rue's mamma, my daughter, is off at work right now. I been watching this one 'cause she was throwing a fit about where Rue was. She's old enough to understand, but it doesn't seem as though she wants to. We couldn't get her to go to school today."

The girl came back and Peeta leaned back into his seat. "Do you think you know why this happened?" Katniss stiffened next to him. Was he insane? That seemed rather rude and straightforward given the pleasantries he had just exchanged with this woman.

"I dunno enough to say something that you could write about, Mr. Mellark," Her tone was grave and she didn't seem as though she was ready to offer any speculations on why Rue was killed.

"I understand, but based on the impression I got from Chief Undersee and everyone else I spoke to, it seems as though there's something not everyone is telling." Katniss saw from the corner of her eye that Peeta's jaw was set rigidly as he spoke. "I promise not to write anything you don't want people to know, but…"

"Mr. Mellark… The only thing I honestly have to say about our Rue is that her death was unnecessary and the true crime will be if that boy isn't caught. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have chores to do," she saod and stood abruptly. Peeta only hesitated for a moment before following her to the door with Katniss in his wake.

* * *

"What was that about?" Katniss seethed. Peeta wasn't looking at her as they walked back in the direction of the town.

"What?"

"You just jumped on her out of nowhere like she knew something she shouldn't have. I thought you just wanted-"

"I did. I only wanted to talk about Rue, but I've just had this… this feeling, alright? You wouldn't understand, since you're not from around here." Katniss huffed and they kept on in silence.

Once they had passed the park he had taken her to previously, Peeta finally spoke again.

"Listen, this place here, this town, is full of people." Katniss rolled her eyes but Peeta held up a hand so that he wouldn't be interrupted. "These people all know each other. You can't go to the grocery store without running into someone you know. Because of this and the recent events that have occurred, it seems to me as though no one wants to be the one to get their neighbor, friend, cousin, or whatever to be thrown in jail. I think the police are trying to cover something up."

"Cover something up? Are you crazy?" She couldn't help the skepticism from invading her voice. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe it was just some vagabond who was passing through, saw her and that it was a robbery gone wrong or something?" Peeta narrowed his eyes at her.

"It's that kind of thinking that won't get you anywhere in this field, Katniss Everdeen. Why don't you go back home and cover what the specials are in the farmer's market while I do some real journalism?" He spun on his heel and left her gaping at him.

* * *

Peeta's wods had gotten her to start thinking, really thinking. The reluctance she seemed to encounter left and right in terms of speaking to people about the murder had put her on edge. Maybe he was right… maybe this town was hiding something? She arrived back at her hotel room and pulled out her laptop, hoping to at least start writing her article.

She tried painting an accurate picture of Rue, the girl she saw smiling at her from the photo, but she wasn't really sure how old she had been in that picture. In the end, Katniss sat at her computer screen with the palms of her hands pressed up against her eyes, utterly stumped. How was she supposed to write something eye-catching and exciting with the little information she had to go on? She was beginning to regret not meeting with the Chief of Police and interrogating him herself.

She pushed herself back from the hotel desk and grabbed her purse to look for a better spot to think. When she pulled open the door, she found one Peeta Mellark waiting for her. She was about to the slam the door shut in his face when he pushed his arm out to keep her from doing so.

"Katniss, wait! I just wanted to apologize. This whole situation… and being back here, it's gotten me a little riled up." He smiled at her sheepishly, but she was refusing to look at him. He went on. "I'm sorry if I insulted you and… well, I guess I just… I wish you the best of luck, Everdeen." As he finished speaking, he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her cheek before walking away.

Katniss watched as his figure traversed the hall and descended the stairs, disappearing from view. She looked down at her wristwatch before going back inside her room to call Mr. Abernathy. She was done with this place, although her cheek still tingled from the touch of Peeta's lips.

* * *

"It's not like you to just give up…" Prim wasn't one to reprimand her sister, but Katniss had never been one to do a job quite so half-assed.

"Shut up, Prim." Katniss pushed a cup of coffee towards her sister before turning from the newspaper Prim had sprawled on their kitchen table. Prim tapped a pencil to the article.

"It is decent, though; I'll give you that much. I wonder what your friend ended up writing about."

"He's not my friend." Still, she couldn't help but feel curious, but his article hadn't come out in this week's _Times_. There was a small article giving the same minute details that Katniss had on the case, but she had a feeling his would be the one to hash out all the juicier things the public usually looked for in their news.

But she didn't want to think about this anymore. Her dreams had been filled with those big haunting eyes of a little girl she would never know.

Prim had turned on the small television in their living room and Katniss set about cleaning the kitchen. She had her elbows deep in soap suds when Prim started shouting Katniss' name.

"What?"

"It's your friend! He's on television!" Katniss furrowed her brow and cleaned off her hands to see what Prim was shrieking about.

There, on the television screen, was that same picture that Katniss had held in her hands only a few days prior. Peeta Mellark was seated next to an old man in a sharp looking suit, looking grave.

"The mayor's son, also a resident of this town, was recently taken into custody and confessed to the murder of this little girl, and you're the one to thank."

Peeta shook his head. "It wasn't just me. It was also thanks to a brave teacher who wanted justice for her student. I was just the one to put the information out there."

"I must say, there is still some excitement in investigative journalism, I suppose." The old man chuckled and Peeta couldn't help but smile.

"Some, to say the least. I just hope a one Katniss Everdeen is still willing to speak to me after all of this. I think we'd make a pretty good team."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she was also out there, researching the same story. If it weren't for her, I don't think I could've mustered up my own courage to go after a truth I knew was out there."

_Too much credit, I didn't do a single thing…_ she thought to herself.

Prim was jumping up and down on the couch.

"_Please_, tell me he has brothers, Katniss; and _pretty please_ say that you're going to meet with him again!"

* * *

_Written for the Spring Fling Exchange on tumblr. Prompt courtesy of sponsormuings who this fic is for. Special thanks to Chelziebelle for her beta work. _

_This story is unfinished but due to my inability to plan properly this is what I turned in. Perhaps in the future (far far away future), I'll revisit this work and do what I had intended to do with it. _


End file.
